Survivors of the Force
by PorkCutletBowlsFatales
Summary: It has been three months since the execution of Order 66 and the rise of the Empire. One of the main characters finds herself on a quest. She is looking for something, but has no clue what to look for or where to find it. Our other lead, however, is a pure-blooded rebel! Both work together to uncover the dark secrets of the Empire and run into some unexpected company along the way.


I'm seventeen and completely alone. Nobody to rely on but myself, and nothing to look up to but the Force. I don't have a home and the streets are dirty and crawling with criminals. At least the Clone War was over, but my question to the galaxy is did we really solve what started it in the first place? Many would say yes, and I don't know anyone who would disagree with them, but I'm almost certain that at least one person does.

But I can't risk looking for them. Hell, I narrowly escaped with my life ... again... just three months ago, but was time was different compared to those other times. If I'm recognized again, there's no telling whether I'll survive or die. I have no idea what I have done to be considered dangerous enough to be shot at on sight with the intention for me to be killed. All I know is this order that is meant to exterminate me is called "Order 66". But now I'm starting to believe that I'm just one of many other Force-sensitives affected by this order. Every day I feel another life slip away as my fellow Jedi brethren are killed off one-by-one, and every day I feel blessed to be alive. Coruscant used to be a place I'd call home, but now I dread what the next day would bring Knowing I could be killed by anyone in front of anybody, and my murderer would be rewarded with a hefty bounty, and a pardon of all past crimes. That's a thought nobody deserves to have looming over them.

I'm always on the move and food is very scarce. I'm lucky just to receive two meals per day. Pan-handling is my only way to make money. I was able to scrape up just enough credits to purchase a dagger and a rusted Toydarian sword to defend myself since I can't use the Force anymore. The pieces of droid parts littered throughout the lower levels of Coruscant have been quite useful in serving as a disguise, and the old face plates have made functional masks and voice modulators. When I wear the mask and droid parts with my dark blue cloak to hide my lekku, I'm practically unrecognizable.

I've been on my own ever since I've left the Jedi Order. Moments before I left the temple for good, my master pleaded with me to stay. I can remember his words exactly, and my response to them. I still envision that final conversation between us almost every night before I close my eyes.

 _"The Council didn't trust me, so how can I trust myself?"_

 _"What about me? I believed in you, I stood by you!"_

 _"I know you believe in me, Anakin, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer, not now."_

 _"The Jedi Order is your life! You can't just throw it away like this! Ahsoka, you are making a mistake!"_

 _"Maybe. But I have to sort this out on my own. Without the council, and without you."_

I've meditated for hours upon hours trying to figure out what I'm searching for, or at least what I thought I was searching for. I've been hoping that the Force would tell me, or give me some clue on what it is or where to find it. But so far, I've had zero luck. I've even tried to reach out through the Force to see if I can find Anakin, but it was to no avail. I suppose I really am alone now.

For now, all I know is I have to get off this slime ball of a planet. Any place is safer than Corusant for someone like myself, a fugitive. I had to steal some credits for this operation. An operation I wouldn't condone under nearly any circumstance. But if paying someone to smuggle me off the capitol was the only way out of this polluted atmosphere, so be it. I was sincerely hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this!

The most likely place to find somebody shallow enough to take it upon themselves to preform such a feat for money was a bar, nightclub, any of those kinds of places. And considering how many of them littered the underground levels, I figured this would be one of the easier and less stressful steps in my escape. I'd have to be extremely selective with who to trust. I scanned the crowded venue but nobody seemed to be looking for trouble. Then a back room caught my eye. I recognized this bar now. I always associated it with the mission I was assigned with my master to capture Rako Hardeen, only to later find out it was Master Kenobi in disguise. He was also another person I haven't been able to contact through the Force.

Somebody back there must be desperate enough to be willing to smuggle a Jedi out of the atmosphere for the right price.

Sure enough, someone sitting by themselves with a half empty glass in front of them in one of the private sitting areas gestured to me to come towards them. I reluctantly walked in their direction.

"What is it you seek?" said a raspy, modulated voice. To my surprise, the voice was female. They had more formal clothes than I did, and a mask that looked like they made it themselves. The black mask was sleek and long at the chin. The white carving on the forehead of the mask was centered perfectly between the opaque eye slits. The symbol was one I didn't recognize. A dark red hooded cloak was worn over the top of the mask, making it impossible to determine their hair length or color if they had any. From what I could tell, the length went down to their ankles, and the boots were black and came up past the ankles, but no further. Their suit was skin tight and a dark shade of brown. Not one patch of skin was visible on the person.

"I want off of this planet," I told them bluntly and confidently.

"To where?" they responded cooly.

"Anywhere out of Imperial control."

"A destination that remote is going to cost you extra," they said.

"What's your price?" I asked.

"What's your offer?"

I reached into my cloak and withdrew a thick sack full of credits. I tossed them towards the person. The bag make a loud clank as it hit the table.

"There's 15,000 credits in there. That's my only and final offer," I said.

The person across from me looked at the bag then back at me again. "Really? I noticed a pretty nice sword under that cloak of yours. Don't think I didn't notice it."

I was shocked that they knew. I've been extremely cautious to keep it hidden from peering eyes. I was hesitant to give up my only form of defense.

"It's rusted," I told them in hopes of being able to keep the sword.

"So? It's got to be worth at least 'hundred-fifty."

I grasped the handle, but didn't remove it from its sheath. "How do I know I can trust you?"

Although I couldn't see it, I was almost certain that they were smiling under that mask. "You don't."

I swiftly took the bag of credits off the table. "In that case, I'm not giving you anything until I see the ship."

The person pushed a button on the side of their mask. Their mouth was exposed but nothing else. They gulped the last bit of their drink that was left and put in back of the table with a soft clank. They reached into their cloak and dropped ten credits on the table next to the empty glass. They shrouded their face again then stood up and told me to follow them. We left the bar and walked for about five minutes without exchanging any words. We came upon a small imperial shuttle. I grasped the handle of my sword on the person, ready to defend myself.

"You're with the Empire?!"

"No, but they won't suspect a ship of their own to betray them."

I relaxed my grip on the handle.

"Ok, you saw the ship. Now pay up!" they told me.

I handed them the bag once again and the weapon in its sheath. They headed towards the ramp that led into the shuttle and I followed them promptly. They took their seat in the cockpit and I sat in the passengers' area. I felt the shuttle lift off the ground and enter hyperspace. I was relieved that I was finally free of the burden of the Empire. I was so entranced by my happiness that the anomaly of this shuttle didn't occur to me until it was too late.

"There's something you should know about these ships," I heard the smuggler tell me over the intercom. "They don't have hyperdrives,". My eyes widened with horror as I saw them in the doorway between the cockpit and the passengers' area. They had my rusted sword in hand, ready to attack me.

* * *

 **Story by ViktorNikiforovKearsley and Joeneauxvieve**

 **Chapter written by Joeneauxvieve**

 **Edited by: ViktorNikiforovKearsley**


End file.
